F-35A deploys to Middle East for first time

Two F-35A Lightning IIs assigned to the 4th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron fly overhead before landing at Al Dhafra Air Base, United Arab Emirates, for the first time on April 15. (SrA Mya Crosby/Air Force)

U.S. Air Forces Central Command said in a release that F-35A Lightning IIs from the 388th Fighter Wing and the 419th Fighter Wing, both at Hill Air Force Base in Utah, arrived at Al Dhafra Air Base in the United Arab Emirates Monday.

The F-35′s arrival comes a little more than a month after B-1B Lancer bombers completed their deployment at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, which left the Air Force with no bomber presence in the Middle East. The joint strike fighters will bolster the Air Force’s firepower in the region as the coalition carries out airstrikes against the Taliban in Afghanistan and scattered remnants of the Islamic State.

Think of the F-35 as the “quarterback of the joint team," and not simply another stealth fighter, the Air Force chief of staff said Tuesday.

Kyle Rempfer

February 19, 2019

“We are adding a cutting-edge weapons system to our arsenal that significantly enhances the capability of the coalition,” said Lt. Gen. Joseph Guastella, commander of AFCENT, in the release. “The sensor fusion and survivability this aircraft provides to the joint force will enhance security and stability across the theater and deter aggressors.”

A 380th Air Expeditionary Maintenance Group crew chief meets an F-35A pilot at Al Dhafra Air Base, United Arab Emirates, April 15. Lightning IIs have deployed to Air Forces Central Command's area of responsibility for the first time. (Staff Sgt. Chris Thornbury/Air Force)

The F-35A is a stealth fighter with an advanced sensor package that was designed to replace aging air frames such as the F-16 and A-10. The Air Force said it is designed to fuse, integrate and share data with other assets on the battlefield.

“The F-35A provides our nation air dominance in any threat,” Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Dave Goldfein said in the release. “When it comes to having a quarterback for the coalition joint force, the inter-operable F-35A is clearly the aircraft for the leadership role.”

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AFCENT spokeswoman Maj. Holly Brauer declined to specify how many F-35As had been deployed to Al Dhafra, as well as the number of airmen present to support the deployment.

She also would not confirm whether the aircraft will take part on missions on behalf of Operation Inherent Resolve.

“During their deployment, the Airmen will fly operational and other missions as assigned,” she said. “Consistent with operations security, we will not discuss employment details in advance. The F-35A and their crews will bring the advanced capabilities to the CENTCOM commander’s wide range of options.”

In 2017, the fifth-generation fighter also deployed to RAF-Lakenheath in the United Kingdom and the U.S. Pacific Command area of responsibility.

The 388th is an active-duty wing, and the 419th is a reserve wing.

Defense News’ Valerie Insinna in Washington contributed to this report.

Stephen Losey covers leadership and personnel issues as the senior reporter for Air Force Times. He comes from an Air Force family, and his investigative reports have won awards from the Society of Professional Journalists. He has traveled to the Middle East to cover Air Force operations against the Islamic State.

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